William Lopez-Forment

William Lopez Forment studied biology at the National University of Mexico, obtained his master's degree in ecology and evolutionary theory at Cornell University, and finished his doctoral studies at the National University of Mexico. He has worked on the biological control of vampire bats with the Mexican government at a research center established in Mexico City to pursue the ecological study of vampire bats while attempting to manage their habitats. In 1976, he was invited by the FAO of the U.N. to represent the Gray Whale and Mexico, in Bergen, Norway, at the international meeting, Mammals in the Seas. William currently studies wild mammals in Mexico at the Institute of Biology at the National University of Mexico.

Another personal research interest of his is the relationship between fruit bats, pollination, and plants. As fruit bats fly from plant to plant to find food, they also pollinate the plants they visit, and William is studying the patterns of pollen dispersal to better understand changes in the fruit bat population.

William has taught mammalogy at the National University of Mexico since 1974. He has published more than 54 scientific papers and one book on the mammals of Mexican islands. He has also devoted much of his time to researching the flora of the Americas. And no matter where he travels, he enjoys teaching (and learning even more) about how local foods have shaped cultures and civilizations. William has worked as a naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic all over the world.